


Momma's Boy

by orphan_account



Series: Parents of the Enterprise [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, Post-Narada, mckirk is only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 07:39:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10680747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jim accidentally takes an awkward call on the bridge.





	Momma's Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own this.

“Captain we have an incoming transmission from the First Officer of the USS Yorktown. They wish to speak to you as soon as possible,” Nyota said across the silent bridge. The crew seemed to be operating on fumes ever since the they escaped the blackhole. The Narada incident as the crew had taken to calling it had left everyone worn out.

Jim sighed. “Patch it through they probably just want an update on,” Jim said before his eye widened and he nearly shouted, “Wait Uhura send it to my –” Jim was too late however and the call came through right as Nyota scrambled to reroute it.

“Honestly, Jimmy you’ll make people think you don’t want to talk to me.”

Jim closed his eyes hoping it would make the last few seconds go away. When he peaked his left eye open he was welcomed to his mother’s unamused face. Deciding the only direction this conversation could go is down Jim elected to play innocent. “Hi ma! Long time no see! How’s space?” Jim asked leaning casually back in his seat.

Winona Kirk raised her eyebrow at her son and Jim couldn’t help but feel cheated that he didn’t inherit that ability from her. “Why don’t you tell me Jimmy since you seem so inclined to frolic around in it.”

“Uh, space is fine.” Jim said, he wasn’t quite sure what to say to his mother. He really wished they could have this conversation in private.

Winona’s face softened at her sons panicked scrambling. “And what about you Jim? How’s my Jimmy?” she asked.

Jim finally looked at his mother’s face in full. She looked tired and older than he recalled from the last time he was her a month ago. The last time she looked like this was at the end of a divorce, picking Jim up from a hospital after the hell called Tarsus IV. 

“I’m as okay as I can be right now. You sure you don’t want to take this call back in my ready room?” Jim nearly pleaded.

“Yeah. You can’t escape my questions if there are witnesses. How’d you get those cuts on your face and the bruises around your neck?” Winona said dragging her hand across the screen and Jim would bet everything he had, she was tracing the bruises that collared his neck.

“I bet I could escape your questions. You’ve met Bones ma. You know he can beat you at badgering for questions. If I can work my way around him I don’t think you stand a chance. Just the other day I – “

“James.” Winona said in an exhausted yet fondly exasperated exhale.

“– as I was saying it was mostly Romulans,” Jim quickly responded. One day Jim would figure out why his mother saying his name like that made him cave like a house of cards, until then she won this round.

“Mostly? Who else tried to choke you?” Winona sat up straighter in her seat and her eye narrowed in on the Vulcan who suddenly decided the show wasn’t as interesting as he thought it would be.

Jim, noticing his mother pinpoint exactly who else choked him, slid in-between Spock and his mother’s vision. “Ma, I antagonized him it’s fine.” He said quickly trying to further hide Spock behind himself.

Jim froze as his mother glared at him. “You antagonized a Vulcan after their planet blew up?” she asked.

Jim had a hard time swallowing past the lump in his throat. When he answered his mother, it came out as barely more than a whisper, “Yes, Ma’am”

“Have you apologized?” she asked in a tone Jim knew meant his answer better be the one she wanted to hear.

“Well, no. Vulcans don’t believe in apologizing for one’s actions if they were logical to make.” Jim defended.

“James.”

Jim’s face went white and he turned to apologize to Spock. “Sorry I force you into admitting you were emotionally compromised Spock.” He said.

Spock, not wishing Winona to turn her wrath back on him, was quick to accept it as it was only logical to not further antagonize an angered human woman. He and his father learned that lesson well. “Apology excepted. I apologize for strangling you.” Spock replied.

“It’s all good,” Jim said dismissively as he made his way back to the captain’s chair

Winona’s face twitched before she started laughing. “Oh you two will work really well together, I can already tell.”

Jim let his mother laugh at his and Spock’s expense only because it gave him a bit of breathing room. When he made his way back to the captain’s chair and sat down he turned to his mother who was finally getting control of herself again. “So, was that all you needed ma?” he asked.

Jim knew it was the wrong thing to say the second he said it. His mother’s eye locked right on him and he felt like a helpless specimen under a microscope. “It most certainly is not all I needed. What the hell happened Jimmy? One day I get a message about you fucking up with the Kobayashi Maru from Chris, who I’m more than ready to go a few rounds with, let me tell you. Then the next day Vulcan’s gone and the Romulan who killed your father’s dead. Then today I find out it was my son who saved the Earth. What have you been doing up here Jim?”

Jim sighed, “What do you know about the Kobayashi Maru?”

Winona rolled her eyes. “I’m well aware of your No-Win scenario thing you get from you father, though you never called it that until Chris got his hooks in you. I’m also aware of how you like to make your points Jim. All I can say about that, is that my intelligence and your father’s lack of self-preservations skills don’t make a good combination.” Winona said in exasperation.

“Wow, just tell it like it is ma. So, you know about that well I got put on probations so Bones brought me on board using a little know code about emergency care of a patient not cleared to be on a starship.” Jim explained.

Winona interrupted the story here and if she did that every time something happened Jim wouldn’t finish the story until Beta shift ended. “Wait till I get my hands on that boy. To think I though your boyfriend was actually a good influence on you.” She said while rolling her eyes.

Jim laughed, “You’ll have to get in line, his mother already told him she’d be waiting when we docked and he better be ready because she was going to go old school on his ass.”

Jim stopped laughing when he saw the considering look on his mother’s face. “Maybe I should go old school on your ass. Maybe you’d think twice before doing something so stupid,” Winona admonished her son.

“If I thought twice earth wouldn’t be here and Nero wouldn’t be dead.” Jim replied quickly.

Winona zoned out toward the end of his sentence. “Nero. His name was Nero.” She whispered.

Jim licked his lips well aware that his entire bridge crew was watching the exchange between him and his mother. “Yeah, his name was Nero. He was consumed by revenge. I didn’t want to be like him.”

Something in Jim’s voice must have registered with his mother because he looked up at him. Jim had never felt more see through in his life as his mother’s eyes went wide. She leaned back in her chair and her voice came out breathless when she said, “You offered him mercy.”  
Jim knew it wasn’t a question but he answered anyway. “Yes.”

The two Kirks sat in silence for a moment. “He’d be proud. George always saw the best in people. He’d be proud you gave them a second chance.” Winona said. The bridge officers squirmed quietly.

Jim hung his head. “I didn’t offer them mercy because I saw good in them, I offered it so I wouldn’t feel bad when I blew them up.” He mumbled.

Winona smiled, “Your father’s honor and my mercilessness. Odd combination but at least it works better than – “

“Your brain’s and dad’s self-preservation skills. I know.” Jim interrupted. 

“Anyway, back to the story, I’m the only one who recognized the trends matched what happened to the Kelvin and then Pike made me first officer and I almost died trying to dismantle the drill used to destroy Vulcan. I got thrown off the ship for mutiny and end up on Delta Vega where this guy Scotty apparently discovered trans-warp beaming. Anyway, we get back on the ship where I compromise Spock and took the captaincy. Then Spock and I went on the Narada. Spock went to destroy the drill with a ship from the future and I ran into Nero. Nero ran off to figure out what Spock was doing and I manage to escape to find Pike. Then we were beamed back on board the Enterprise where I offered insincere help to the Narada then blew it up. We were being pulled into the black hole when we ejected the warp cores and launched ourselves away from it.” Jim said all of this quickly in the hopes that if he said it fast enough the words wouldn’t register.

Winona was silent for a minute. When she finally did speak, the crew looked away from the crushed look on their captain’s face.

“Sometimes I wish you were like your brother,” Winona said softly. “Sam was always quiet and he never dreamed of space travel. He wants to settle down with a woman and a 9 to 5. He wants three kids, no more no less. He’s not argumentative and he can’t outsmart or out-stubborn me. Sam’s put together and stable and some days I wish you were the same.”

Jim felt a squirming feeling in his stomach as his mother tore into him on the bridge. He was just glad his crew had the decency to pretend not to listen. Jim’s head jerked up when his mother spoke again.

“You pull things like this and I have no one to blame save the woman in the mirror because you may look more like your father but you’re all mine in attitude. Your father saved the Admiral’s wild child daughter who had a bone to pick with everyone. I was a bit lost when he was gone but then there was you. I didn’t notice you when you were born. No I met my youngest son when he was thirteen years old, hoping to any god that might be listening that it wasn’t too late to get to know you. I am glad I got to know you because you saved me. I really hope that doctor of yours can save the war hero’s wild child son but if he can’t I want you to know you can always save yourself.” Winona said, her face softened as she took in her son.

Jim was silent for a long time, his attentive crew long since faded from his mind. When Winona was about to hang up thinking she over stepped her bounds Jim spoke up. “How do you know that?” he asked hesitantly no longer caring that his crew heard, they’d seen worse from him at this point.

Winona looked her son straight in the eye. “I already told you Jimmy. I believe you can save yourself because you saved me. I don’t want you in space but I think I know now what Chris was talking about three years ago. You belong here. I’ll see you when you touch down on Earth. Call your brother.” She said with a tone of finality.

Jim put on his bravado before replying to his mother. “I’m not talking to Sam until he quits making terrible life choices. He’s been with Aurelan eight years and they’re still not married. Also have you seen him lately? I have a serious bone to pick with whoever encouraged him to grow that monstrosity on his face. On another note, I’ll try to pencil you in before I head back out into the black.” Jim replied jokingly.

“I’ll be sure to tell your brother to grow a pair and marry the girl, for what feels like the thousandth time. Not sure how far I’ll get on the mustache front. He seems instant that it makes him look more mature.” Winona smirked at her son and her voice turned serious. “James Tiberius Kirk, I better see you on Earth or you’re going to learn the hardest lesson in space. It’ll be your worst nightmare so long as I’m alive but it will be your saving grace in most situations.”

Jim’s brow crinkled as he cocked his head to the side. “And what’s that?” he asked.

“You can’t hide from a Kirk in space.” With that Winona ended the call. 

Her son collapsed back into his seat and turned to his communications officer. “If I end up being your captain please never let me take a communication from a ship my mother is even remotely near outside of the ready room.”

Nyota smirked at him. “Sure thing Jimmy.”

**Author's Note:**

> this came out a bit crackier than expected.


End file.
